1. Field
An outdoor device of an air conditioner is disclosed herein.
2. Background
An air conditioner is a home appliance that maintains indoor air in an optimal state according to its uses and purposes. For example, an interior space may be controlled to be cool in summer and controlled to be warm in winter. Indoor humidity may also be controlled, and the indoor air may be kept fresh and clean.
The air conditioner may be driven by a refrigeration cycle in which compression, condensation, expansion and evaporation of a refrigerant may be performed. Thus, an indoor space may be cooled or warmed.
Based on whether an indoor unit or device and an outdoor unit or device are separated or integrated, the air conditioner may be classified as a separated-type air conditioner in which the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are separated from each other and an integrated-type air conditioner in which the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are integrated in one unit. The outdoor unit may include an outdoor heat exchanger that heat exchanges with external air, and the indoor unit may include an indoor heat exchanger that heat exchanges with indoor air.
When the refrigeration cycle performs a cooling operation, the outdoor heat exchanger may serve as a condenser, and the indoor heat exchanger may serve as an evaporator. When the refrigeration cycle performs a warming operation, the indoor heat exchanger may serve as the condenser, and the outdoor heat exchanger may serve as the evaporator.
A widely used, multi-type air conditioner may have a refrigerant circuit in which a plurality of outdoor units or devices may be disposed or provided outside, for example, on a rooftop of a building, and a plurality of indoor units or devices respectively connected with the outdoor units to independently cool or warm each indoor space.
Korean Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-2013-0088434, which is hereby incorporated by reference, provides an outdoor unit of a multi-type air conditioner. In the outdoor unit of the air conditioner, each element forming the refrigeration cycle, for example, a compressor, may be installed on an upper surface of a base pan. An outdoor heat exchanger may be disposed or provided along a circumference of the base pan to be exposed to three surfaces. A left panel and a right panel, each of which may have an inlet port, may be formed at left and right sides of the outdoor heat exchanger. A suction grille may also be provided at a rear surface of the outdoor heat exchanger to allow external air to pass through.
A fan may be provided at an internal upper portion of the outdoor unit so that outdoor air may pass through the outdoor heat exchanger and then may be discharged upward. The fan may be provided inside a shroud to guide air discharged.
However, in the outdoor unit according to the related art, a constant pressure of the air passing through the shroud may be reduced by friction. Thus, a flow rate may be reduced, and noise may increase.